Fire bale prevention



J'uhe so, 1959 J. v. FERGUSON, ll ETAL 2,892,396

FIRE BALE PREVENTION Filed May 9, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WILLIAM S FERGUSON JOSEPH I! FFRGUSON 1' BY 5 M.

ATTORNEY June 0, 1959 J. v. FERGUSON, u ETAL 2,892,396

FIRE BALE PREVENTION Filed May 9, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WILL/AM S FERGUSON JOSEPH FERGUSON 12 BY {f M ATTORNEY United States Patent 9 2,892,396 FIRE BALE PREVENTION Joseph V. Ferguson II, Dallas, Tex., and William S.

Ferguson, New Orleans, La.

Application May 9, 1955, Serial No. 506,772 5 Claims. c1. 1oo --ss fire occurring in a cotton gin may box. Rather than stop a gin, it is the practice of operaor igniting cotton over into the press box and bale it. Bales produced under such conditions are what is known as fire bales. means have been proposed in the art for extinguishing a fire bale. It is an object of the present invention not only to, prevent the formation of fire bales, but also to extinguish any fire which may be present in the process of condensing cotton and in packing, pressing and tying off a cotton bale. 1 i

Generally, the. object of thislinvention is accomplished by spraying all of the fibers of a cotton bale suspected of being ignited with a mixture of carbon dioxide gas and carbon dioxide snow during the time the cottonis passing through the condenser and being pressed on the tramper side of the press box. An important feature of the process being the deposit of carbon dioxide snow on the unbaled cotton fibers just prior to final hal ing so that some solid CO is, trapped throughout the bale and when it sublimes under the pressureexerted on the cotton by the hydraulic ram situated in the baler on the baler side of the press box, there is enough carbon dioxide gas to extinguish any and all residual fire or combustion and prevent the existence of a fire bale.

The method of this invention is only brought into operation when it appears that a fire bale is about to be formed or, in other words, only when it is known that ignited or igniting fibers are being carried into the condenser and the press box, which press box consists of a tramper side and a baler side. Usually, the method is set in operation by manually operated valve means, although it is within the scope of this invention to do the same thing automatically. This invention can be used in conjunction with a gin fire extinguishing system but it is preferably operable by separate means as the gin extinguishing system is intended to put out fires which are beyond control in the gin and the present invention is intended to prevent fire bales where an operator has been successful in preventing a gin fire, or in situations where the fire exists or is suspected only in the condenser or press box.

More specifically, the method of this invention comprises the steps of introducing carbon dioxide into the condenser of a cotton gin and simultaneously introducit relates to a method of prevent-V Various.

ing carbon dioxide gas and snow into the tramper side of the press box prior to applying the final pressure on the baler side of the press box to form a bale.

The apparatus for performing the method of this invention includes the combination of suitable nozzles and their supply means associated with a cotton gin and press box.

In the preferred construction one nozzle feeds carbon dioxide mto the cotton 0 feed carbon dioxide into the tramper side of the press tramper side and a baler side.

An important feature of the apparatus of this invention is the mounting of the nozzles for forming carbon dioxide snow and dispersing the gas through the tramper.

side of the press box so that solid and gaseous carbon dioxide is sprayed directly onto, into and through the cotton as it is being loaded or fed into the tramper side of the press box.

Another feature of this invention is the nozzle construction which produces a high percentage of snow, a high discharge pressure and which is at the same time readily removable and replaceable. Other objects and features of the invention will be readily apparent from the detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawing.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partially diagrammatic representation of the condenser of an ordinary cotton gin coupled with a standard press box, both modified in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of a preferred nozzle; and, Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the tramper. Referring now to the drawings, in Fig. 1 there is illusinto the tramper side of the press box where it is preliminarily pressed by tramper 14 and subsequently moved by a turntable (not shown) to a position under the ram 12 for final pressing into bale form and tying out.

A pair of special nozzles 20 and 22 are positioned through the tramper foot 14 for directing their discharge onto, into and throughthe cotton being fed into and accumulating in the tramper side of the press box. The nozzles are fed from a source of carbon dioxide indithe normal reciprocation of the tramper. Nozzle 28 is positioned to discharge into the condenser 18 and is connected to the carbon dioxide supply through feed line 34 and manifold 32. Each carbon dioxide containing cylinder 30 is provided with a valve 33.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the nozzle is made up of an outer cylinder 40 having a constant inside diameter with the exception of a reduced portion 42, formed with shoulders 44 and a second interior cylinder 46 provided at one end with a bullet-nose closure 48 which in turn is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed ports 50 and 52 which discharge axially at an angle of about 45 with respect to the axis of the cylinders. The other end of the second and inner cylinder is provided with an annular shoulder 54 which engages the shoulder 44 and thereby serves as a limit or stop for positioning the second cylinder with respect to the first. In the condenser nozzle, each orifice 50 and 52 has an inside diameter of about 4; inch and they are spaced about 2 inches from the discharge end of the nozzle. In the tramper foot nozzles, each orifice has an inside diameter of about inch and they are spaced about 4 /2 inches from the discharge end of the nozzle, the overall length of the nozzle being about 6 /2 inches.

This construction, particularly the latter one, provides an expansion area which produces a high percentage (in the nature of about 20%) of carbon dioxide snow and at the same time creates a very high forward pressure which is, in fact, strong enough to penetrate to the bottom layer of the cotton in the tramper section which has been pressed to 200 lbs. of density. Another feature of the nozzle isthat the inner cylinder can be removed and replaced, if necessary or desirable.

Operation in accordance with this invention is characterized by its simplicity. A 75 pound carbon dioxide cylinder'is used as a source 30 of extinguishing fluid and is connected through manifold 32 with feed lines 24. and 34. The manually operable valves 33 are closed until the cotton coming.- from the. gin is either known to be ignited or suspected of being capable of causing a fire bale. Atthat moment valve 33 is opened manually by an ordinary pull cable Which serves as a remote control device and the carbon dioxide is released under its own pressure which is then amplified by the nozzle construction for more effective action. The operation of the gin and the press box continuewithout interruption.

The entire cylinder is permitted to empty as excessive carbon; dioxide; does no harm, and one 75 pound cylinder has been found to contain enough carbon dioxide to handle any one fire bale problem. A. standby cylinder is provided for, the next, emergency.

A normal ginning season produces about 9 to 12- fire bale. problems for each gin and operation according to this invention has proven 100% eifective in several difference gins over a totalperiod in all the gins equivalent to more than one year on a single gin.

Another material application of this device involves extinguishing a fire'which is discovered in a cotton bale after it has been tied out, and removed from the press box.

.It has been discovered that fires in such bales may be promptly and readily extinguished by replacing the bale inthebaler side of the'press box and compressing it with the ram so that the ties may be removed. The bale is thenturntabled to the tramper side of, the press box and the tramper brought to a down position. The system. is then pulled and allowed to complete its cycle of operation. The bale is returned to the baler side of the press box where it is compressed and tied out, all fire having been extinguished in this process.

We claim:

1. In the method of baling cotton fibers at the discharge end of a cotton gin and the like, wherein the cotton is first compressed in a tramper section and finally pressed in a bale in a ram section, that improvement which comprises continuously baling regardless of conditions normally expected to produce a fire bale, spraying, only when conditions exist which are normally expected to produce a fire bale, solid and gaseous carbon dioxide into the cotton being compressed in said tramper section, said spraying being witha strong high pressure sutficient to distribute solid carbon dioxide throughout the cotton being baled whereby the final bale will be self-extinguishing and no time will be lost in the baling operation.

2. The improved method as set forth in claim 1 including in addition, the step of spraying carbon dioxide into the cotton being collected at the discharge end of said gin simultaneously with said spraying in said tramper section.

I 3. In a cotton baling apparatus including a tramper section, a ram section and a tramper, that improvement which comprises at least one high pressure, snow-forming spray nozzle carried by said tramper and directed into the cotton being compacted, a source of liquid carbon dioxide, means for conveying liquid carbon dioxide to feed said nozzle and means for actuating said conveying means at the desired time.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein there are two of said nozzles carried by said tramper, each nozzle being laterally spaced from the other and from the sides of' the bales.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3' wherein said nozzle includes an outer cylinder of substantially constant inside diameter and discharge means rearwardly mounted in said cylinderfor releasing streams of liquid carbon dioxide forwardly and outwardly against the inner walls of. said cylinder-to form snow and to provide said high pressure spray.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

